Crème Anglaise Based Chocolate Mousse

• Posted on 24 February 2026
• By The Pastry Depot
• 0

Silky, rich, and deeply chocolate-forward, this crème anglaise based mousse delivers a luxurious texture with remarkable ease. Perfect for molded entremets, layered desserts, or elegant plated finishes.

An original recipe from Barry Callebaut.

Chocolate mousse comes in many forms — airy, whipped, stabilized, or gelatin-set — but few rival the elegance of a mousse built on crème anglaise. This classic French technique creates a mousse that is smooth, creamy, and intensely chocolate-forward, with a refined texture that feels both indulgent and light. Unlike egg-white–based versions, a crème anglaise mousse contains less air, resulting in a more luscious mouthfeel and a beautifully stable structure that holds up in professional-style applications.

By emulsifying warm custard with fine chocolate before folding in softly whipped cream, this method produces a mousse that is both silky and versatile — ideal for everything from glazed entremets to plated desserts or layered pastry creations.

INGREDIENTS

13.4 oz Milk

3.5 oz Whipping Cream 35%

3.5 oz Egg Yolks

1.6 oz Sugar

1 pc Vanilla Bean

1.1 lb Callebaut Fleur de Cao 70% Dark Chocolate

1.9 lb Whipping Cream 35% – Semi-Whipped

DIRECTIONS

1. Create a crème anglaise by gently heating the milk, cream, sugar and vanilla pod together. Once simmering, temper the warm mixture into your egg yolks and cook to 80-84C/176-183F, stirring constantly.

2. Add the Fleur de Cao in batches, completely emulsifying with the crème anglaise.

3. Check the temperature of the mixture: it should be 40-45C/104-113F.

4. Fold in the whipped cream. The final temperature of this mousse should be 24-28C/75-82F, at most.

5. Refrigerate to set or freeze in molds for glazing.

This mousse is very versatile and can be used in assembling many types of desserts. You can even try it with other similarly composed dark chocolates for different flavor profiles. With semi-liquid texture when finished, it can be assembled or dispersed with ladles for ease of production. It is very stable when cooled, optimally used in molded and glazed desserts.

Elegant Results, Surprisingly Simple

Despite its refined texture and professional finish, crème anglaise-based chocolate mousse is refreshingly approachable to prepare. The process relies on a familiar custard foundation — milk, cream, egg yolks, and sugar gently cooked together — before being emulsified with chocolate and lightened with whipped cream. When temperatures are followed correctly, the result is a smooth, homogeneous mousse with excellent structure and stability.

One of its greatest strengths is versatility. This mousse can easily transition from a stand-alone dessert to a foundational component in more complex pastry designs. Its semi-fluid texture allows it to be poured, piped, molded, layered, or glazed with ease.

Some beautiful final presentations include:

Glazed entremets: Freeze in silicone molds and finish with a mirror glaze for a sleek, modern centerpiece.

Layered verrines: Pair with sponge cake, fresh berries, or fruit compote in a glass for an elegant plated dessert.

Chocolate tart filling: Combine with caramel and a touch of flaky sea salt for a rich, balanced flavor profile.

Petits gateaux: Use as an insert or primary mousse layer in multi-textured desserts.

Plated quenelles: Serve alongside roasted fruits, sable, or sauce for a restaurant-style presentation.

Mousse domes: Combine with crunchy bases or biscuit layers for textural contrast.

Whether used as the star of the dessert or as a supporting component, this mousse delivers professional-level results with minimal complexity — making it an invaluable technique for both pastry chefs and ambitious home bakers alike. You can find delicious, high quality couverture chocolate for your next batch of chocolate mousse at the Pastry Depot.